Most foreign tourists remain unscathed after Sichuan earthquake

Most foreign tourists remain unscathed after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan province’s scenic Jiuzhaigou County on Aug. 8, according to local authorities.

“Most foreign tourists are safe and sound. As far as I know, a female tourist from Canada suffered some head injuries, while a male tourist from France suffered two injured legs. Both of them were sent to the local hospital and are in good condition,” director of the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Sichuan province told haiwainet.cn.

According to statistics from the Tourism Development Committee of Sichuan, there were 1,744 foreign tourists travelling in Jiuzhaigou when the earthquake hit.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also released a statement, in which it confirmed that several foreign nationals sustained minor injuries and were sent to the local hospital.

“The Chinese side has notified the relevant countries of the situation. At present, the relevant local authorities are making their utmost efforts to evacuate the Chinese and foreign tourists stranded in the scenic spot in an orderly way,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang on Aug. 9.

Local authorities have promised to evacuate all stranded tourists by the end of Aug. 9, according to haiwainet.com. All of the tourists were safely evacuated less than 24 hours later.